Hunger Games 1 The Very First Hunger Games Ever
by amberdee63
Summary: The first rebellion failed, and Panem is introduced to the Hunger Games. Natalie is a simple girl from District 10. Does she have what it takes to survive this foriegn game? Read to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1- The Very Beginning

President Cole POV- The Capitol

I can hear the crowd of Capitolites throgh the doors to my balcony. Today is the day I deliver the speech that will change this nation forever. Today is the day I introduce Panem to the Hunger Games. The Games are my precious creation to keep the Districts in line. Even after the rebellion and the obliteration of District 13, some of the District people still think they can ignore Capitol law. This will show them the truth; that no one can overcome the Capitol. I take a deep breath and put on my most confident smile before as I head out to the speaking podium on the balcony of my Presidential Mansion. When I reach the podium the crowd erupts into applause. I raise my hand to calm the crowd and begin my speech. "Hello my loyal constituents. As I'm sure you all know, exactly 6 months ago, the rebellion by the Districts was ended by yours truly. Unfortunantly, there are still a few misguided people in the Districts who think they can overcome the glorious power that is the Capitol. To remind those District citizens and as punishment for rebelling against your leaders in the first place, I have came up with a magnifecent pageant known as the Hunger Games." I pause and the crowd is as silent as the grave, hanging on to my every word. "The Hunger Game is a competition between the 12 Districts where each District will send one male and one female tribute to come to the Capitol and compete for honor and glory. When the tributes arrive to the Capitol, the will take part in the Tributr Parade, where the Capitol citizens will get to see their tributes for the first time. For 3 days after the Parade, the tributes will have a chance to trian for the Games. On the third day of training, each tribute will go individually before the gamemakers to demonstraite what they have learned and will be given a score 1 through 12, with 12 being the highest they can achieve. 2 days after the scores have been given, each tribute will be interviewed on live tv so Panem can get to know each tribute better. After that, the tributes will be placed in an arena where they will compete for pride and glory for their Districts until only one remains. Yes, the tributes will be making the ultimate sacrifice for their Districts and as retribution for their people." I pause again, this time the crowd is't silent out of respect, but out of surprise, but I know the Capitol is on board because almost every face in the crowd is smiling. I continue on, "Capitol citizens can get involved while the tributes are in the arena by sending their favorites gifts. This is called sponsoring. Think of it as gambling on an investment. Now, the way the tributes will be picked is through a random drawing of names called the Reaping. The way the Reaping will work is the name of each eligable child will be placed in two seperate Reaping balls, based on gender. An escort from the Capitol will arrive in each District to select the tributes. To show the generosity of the Capitol, eligable children will be able to take out tesserae which is a supply of grain and oil for one person, in exchange for putting their name into the Reaping ball more times. A child can take out as much tesserae as there are members of their household. If an eligable child wishes, they may volunteer to enter the Games for the Reaped tribute of the same gender. This message is directed towards the Districts, prepare yourselves because the first Reapings take place in exactly one month." I step back from my podium to indicate I'm done speaking. When I do this, the Capitolites burst into thunderous applause. I make my way back into my Mansion with a genuine smile on my face. That went better than I expected! I can't wait to see how Panem reacts to the very first Games!

Natalie Byer's POV one month later- District 10

"Natalie, you need to get out of bed NOW!" I groan and open my eyes as I hear my mother shouting at me from downstairs. I look at my window and see sunlight streaming through it. When I see the sunlight, I bolt straight up in bed. I should've been up hours ago! If you're a farmer in District 10, which most people (including me and my family) are, you need to be up with the sun if you whant even a chance of finishing all your work. I quickly throw on a pair of jeans and work boots before I head downstairs. When I get to the kitchen, I grab a piece of toast before I head towards the back door. "Where do you think your going?" I hear my mother, May, ask me before i reach the door. I turn and look at her and answer "I'm going out to tend to the horses just like yesterday, and the day before that and the day before that..." "Well you're not today. Did you forget that today is the first Reaping Day? You need to go change into something more decent fast so we can head to the town square. You sleeping in has already put us behind." For a moment I just stare at my mom because i actually had forotten about the Reaping. I just nod my head and make my way back to my room. When I get back to my room, I throw open my closet door. As I look through my clothes, i sigh in frustraiton. My family owns a pretty successful horse farm so I'm able to afford a good amount of nice clothes. I just can't decide what to wear. I have no idea what would be apropriate for a Reaping. "Hurry up Natalie!" I hear my mom shout. I grab a pale yellow dress and throw it on. I pause in front of my mirror and stare at my reflection. I know I have always been a little on the plain side and I'm ok with that, but I can honestly say this dress actually makes me look a little bit pretty. The pale yellow color goes great with my dark brown hair, light brown eyes, and tan skin. I give my reflectoin a quick smile and I'm out of my room. When I reach the bottom of the stairs, my mom, father Angus, and 2 little brothers Buckle and Leather are already waiting for me. My mom gives me a quick nod of approval, and we're out the door.

My family lives pretty close to the town square so the walk didn't take too long. I can't say the same for most of District 10 who look like they've been walking for hours which they probably have. District 10 is one of the largest Districts in Panem. When we reach the town square, me and my brothers seperate ourselves from our parents and go stand in the back of a line we see forming. Even though my brothers are younger than me they are still eligable to be Reaped. Buckle is 13 and Leather is 15, while I'm 17. While we're standing in line, I notice Buckle's hands shaking. I grab his hands in mine and ask him "Are you nervous?" He just looksat me with fear in his eyes before he says "Of course I'm nervous! I could get picked to go into a deathmatch against 23 other kids! Or you or Leather could get picked! I don't want to die and I don't want anyone I love to die either!" By the time he stops talking, he's practically screaming and almost crying. I guess it was a stupid question, so instead of saying anything, I just hug him until we get to the front of the line. I see that at the front of the line is a tabel with 2 Peacekeepers sitting at it. The female Peacekeeper holds out her hand and brisquly says "Hand please." I hesitantly place my hand in hers. She pulls out a device and sticks my finger with it. I yelp more out of surprise than actual pain. She checks the device and says "Natalie Byer, District 10, 17 years of age." I don't know what to do, so I just nod my head. She points to a roped off are near the front of the stage. Before I start to walk to the area, I try to look back at Buckle to reassure him, but I hear the Peacekeeper clear her throat so I just hurry my way to my area.

As I near my area, see to girls I recognize from school move over to make room for me. I just give them a nod of thanks, bit don't actually speak. I don't really have any school I don't speak to anyone and prefer to be by myself. My not talking to anyone and all the time I spend working on the farm don't leave much room for friends. I'm waiting for about 5 minutes before the escort walks on the stage. She gets to the micophone and says in an overly cheerful voice, "Hellooooo! My name is Constance and i'll be the escort for this lovely District. Now before I choose the lucky tributes, I have a film to show everyone, all the way from the Capitol!" The film starts, but I can't pay attention. All my focus is on the escort. I've never seen a person like this in my life. She's wearing a hot pink dress with electric blue polka dots all over it, and her eyelashes are sticking out a good inch and a half from her face! She has big, pouffy, lime green hair and her skin looks as if its... Sparkling almost. By the time I'm able to stop staring at Constance, the film is over. Constance starts to speak again "Oooh wasn't that just maginficent?" I can tell by looking around me the film wasn't magnificent, it was probably more Capitol propaganda. "Now it is time for me to selcet the lucky young man and lucky young woman who will have the honor of representing District 10 in the first annual Hunger Games! Ladies first!" As she makes her way to the female Reaping Ball, I truly begin to feel nervous for the first time. I know logically there is no reason for me to be nervous. My name is in there the minnumum amount allowed for 17 year olds. I didn't take any tesserae, I didn't need it. My mind knows there's no reason to be nervous, but as Constance reaches into the Ball and moves her hand around, my anxiety keeps on building. I start to chant in my head "It's not going to be me, it's not going to be me." Constance has finally picked a slip of paper and made her way back to the microphone. She opens it and in a high, clear voice reads out "Natalie Byer!" and the only thought going through my head is "Oh crap, it's me."


	2. Could I Be A Victor?

Chapter 2- Could I Be A Victor? (Goodbyes and Train Ride)

Natalie Byer's POV:

I stand stock still in the crowd for a few seconds. I feel like I'm going into shock. I only start moving because I see Peacekeepers making their way towards me. As I make my way to the stage, I look up and see myself on the screen. I think to anyone else looking at it, I look emotionless. But I know I'm full of emotion, the shock just isn't letting it show. When I get on the stage, Constance says "Congratulations!" in a high pitched voice that just makes me want to plug my ears or hit her. Probably the second option. I stand on the stage, looking out just above the crowd, as Constance makes her way to the male Reaping Ball. I still feel a flicker of anxiety in my stomach because I know Buckle or Leather could still get picked. When she gets back to the microphone, I'm paying attention to her and only her as she reads out the name of my District partener. "Damon Jacobs!" she reads out. Phew, at least I can take comfort that my little brothers are safe. I see a skinny boy from the 14's section making his way to the stage. When he gets to the stage Constance gives him an equally annoying "Congratulations!" He just rolls his eyes as if to say "Shut up already!" She makes us shake hands and then announces "I give you the tributes from District 10, Natalie Byer and Damon Jacobs!" After that Peacekeepers usher us into the Justice Building and push us into seperate rooms to wait for our families.

I'm only waiting for a few seconds before my family piles in. My mother hugs me with tears falling from her eyes. "I'm so sorry this happened to you! I wish i could've volunteered for you! I should've protected you, that's my job as a mother and I've failed!" She breaks down into sobs. I hug her back and say "I know you would've volunteered for me if you could. None of this is your fault, i'm not mad at any of you!" Buckle comes up to me and gives me a hug with tears in his eyes. "You have to come back, I wouldn't be able to stand it if you died. You can win, you have to!" I dont know what to say, so i look to my father. He's like me; quiet and focused on work. He also gives me hug, but he's not crying. By looking in his eyes, I can tell that he's emotional right now but he's trying to keep it together for everyone else. He pulls me in close to him and whispers "You're strong, you're a fighter. It'll be tough, but I know you can win this! There will be times you'll want to give up, but you have to believe in yourself." He pauses for a moment and says more forcefully this time "You CAN win this." Now instead of anxiety, I feel a flicker of hope. My father has never lied to me, so if he says I can win this it must be true. The Peacekeepers slam the doors open and start to drag my family out. Leather, who has been silent up to this point, begins to scream iut "I love you! I love you so much, you have to come back!" After that, the doors shut and I'm by myself again. I don't have any friends and I'm not expecting anyone else to come in, so when the doors open again I'm expecting Peacekeepers. Instead of Peacekeepers, it's some man I don't recognize. He sits down next to me and says "My name is Maximus Costello and I'll be your mentor. Since this is the first Hunger Games there's clearly no Victors that can mentor you so I have the job for now." I look him up and down. By Capitol standards, he probably looks boring. He's around 6 and a half feet tall and has soe good muscle tone on him. He has wavy brown hair with little purple streaks in it. the only other unnatural thing on him are his overly green eyes. After I finish taking him in I ask "Why are you in here now?Why didn't you just wait to speak to me on the train?" He thinks about the question for a second and says "I wanted to have a chance to talk to you privately. On the trian there will most likely always be someone else around. I just want you to tell me exactly how you're feeling in this moment." I consider this. "I'm feeling in shock. I don't think this has really sunk in yet, but I do feel a little confident. My father told me he believes I can win this. i know that shouldn't be something to feel confident about because that's how he's suppossed to feel right? But my dad doesn't lie for anything and he's a realist. if he didn't think I could win this, he wouldn't have said anything." Maximus nods his head and says "Ok lets go to the train."

When I walk on the train, I receive my second shock of the day. It's absolutly gorgeous! The carpet looks fluffy, there's expensive chandaliers hanging from the ceiling, and intricatly designed wallpaper on the walls. Constance pops out and says "Oh there you are! I was wondering when you would come on!" She turns and points down a hallway. "Your room is down that hallway! The first on the right and Damon's is right across from it! He's already in there! Now go wash up. dinner will be in about an hour!" Again I just nod and make my way to my new room. God, I can't stand the way that woman talks! She's overly loud and overly perky. It makes me want to slap her. I stop for a second. Why did i just think about hitting her? sure she's annoying, bur she's never done anything to me personally. I've never been a violent person so I guess these Games have already began to take a hold on me. I make a snap decision to just accept the new violent side. I figure it can't be a bad thing to be a little violent in a deathmatch.

I walk into my new room and look around. It's huge and looks just like the room I came from. I don't know what to do so I take Constance's suggestion to wash up. I strip quickly then walk into the bathroom. The shower makes me pause again. Since my family is pretty successful, we have a shower in our house but it doesn't always have warm water. It certainly doesn't have a control pannel with at least a hundred buttons on it like this one does. I'm not sure what to do, so I push a few random buttons and jump in. The water begins to spray out. It's a little chilly, but bearable. That's when a strong smelling liquid begins to squirt onto my head. I'm not sure what the smell is, but I like it. A liquid that smells just like the last one starts to spray all over my body. I rub it in until I'm covered in suds. After I scrubbed every inch of skin, I turn off the shower and step out. Immediatly when I step out, I get blasted with hot only lasts a few seconds but it was enough time to dry both my skin and my hair. I got to look in the closet and can't help but to feel overwhelmed. I thought my closet back home was big! This one is easily twice its size! I'm not sure what to wear so I grab something that looks familiar. I grab a flannel, a soft looking pair of jeans, and some cowboy boots. I put them on and look in the mirror. I smile at myself and the familiarity. I look like I could've just gotten dressed to work on the farm. The farm... The smile falls off my face as I think of it. If I ever want to see it again, I'll have to kill other kids. Kids that could possibly be a great deal younger and smaller than me. I try to shake those thoughts out of my head as I leave my room in search of dinner.

I let my nose lead me to the dining room. I can smell so many delicous smells coming from the dining room before I even go in. I enter the room and take a seat next to Maximus. I don't say a word as I pile food onto my plate. I can't tell what most of them are, but they look amazing. My family has been invited to fancy dinners on occasion so I know table manners. It's clear Damon does not. He's eating everything with his hands and not bother to even chew most of the time. Constance keeps shooting him looks of disgust and I can't say I blame her, but when she mutters "District savages" I completly lose it and throw my plate of food on her. I stomp back to my room without looking back. About 30 minutes later, Maximus comes to get me so we can watch the Reapings. When I get to the sitting area Constance just glares at me so I do the same to her. The tv clicks on and we see District 1. The girl for District 1 looks small and fragile, like a figurine of an angel. The boy looks pretty plain like me which judging from all the beautiful people I see in the crowd, is very unusual for District 1. As the Reapings go by, only a few kids stand out to me. The boy from District 3 has an average build, but looking at his face, I can tell that he's very intelligent. The girl from District 6 looks fierce and I can see some scars on her hands. Both of District 7's tributes look huge and I'm immediatly intimidated. I see District 10 come up and I pay close attention. When my name is called, I'm happy that I look emotoinless and the shock I felt didn't show. When Damon is called he's honestly forgetable next to some of the other tributes. The only other standout is the Disrtict 12 boy. He just has this look about him that says he's a survivor. The Reapings end and Maximus says "So what did you think?" I say "District 3 boy, District 6 girl, both from 7, District 12 boy." Damon just nods along with what I said. Just by the way he acts, I can tell we won't be close during our time in the Capitol, and I wouldn't be surprised if he dies early on. Maximus looks at us and asks us if we want to be trained together or seperatly. Damon just shrugs and I quickly say "Seperatly." He nods. "Ok. Natalie, you go wait in your room while I talk to Damon for a little bit." I just nod and make my way back to my room.

I'm waiting in my room for shorter than I expected, only about an hour. Maximus comes in shaking his head. "Ok," he says "I need to know your strengths and weaknesses, all of them. Don't leave anything out." I think for a minute then begin talking. "I've worked on a farm since I could walk so I think I have decent strength. I've always been kind of a loner so I don't think I'll team up with anyone. I'm also very quiet. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing though." Maximus looks like he's thinking about what I said. "Well I think I know how I want you to do this. On the chariot I want you to just stand there. Don't smile, don't wave. You're going to come off as the strong, silent type which will actually work well for you because you don't have to reach for the silent part and you have some muscle tone. In training I want you to learn as much survival as you can and also find at least one weapon your good with. In your private session, show your strengths but don't go all out. You need e decent score for sponsors, but I don't want you to become every tributes number 1 target. Shoot for around a 7. I'm going to be very honset with you. There's only one mentor for your District so I'm going to have to choose someone to support in the arena. I actually thought this would be a harder choice but you and Damon have made it very easy. I choose you, Natalie. Damon is quiet like you, but he doesn't have any skills to back it up. He just screams victim. I know it sounds harsh but only one of you could come out anyway, and I feel like you could actualy do it." Something out of the window catches his eye so he stands up and says "We're at the Capitol now. Come on so you can see it." I get up numbly and follow him out the door. The Capitol looks beautiful, but all I can focus on is what Maximus told me. He thinks I can win. Him and my dad both think I can win. The only question is do I think I can win? Do I have what it takes? Could I be a Victor?


	3. Chapter 3- Strong And Silent

Chapter 3- Strong And Silent (Chariot Rides)

Natalie Byer's POV:

I'm laying on a cold stainless steel table while 3 of the weirdest people I've ever seen walk around me with various things in their hands. Righ when we stepped off the train Maximus told me and Damon to listen to the stylists and not to fight them. So far, they have scrubbed off at least 3 layers of skin, ripped off almost all of my body hair, and made a handful of rude comments about the state of my body. I see a man with purple feathers in his hair and purple skin walk towards me with a bowl filled with goop that smells like chemicals. I ask him "What's that stuff for?" He smiles really big. I guess he took my wairiness for enthusiasm. "It's hair dye. We want to dye your hair blonde!" I can't believe what I just heard. I know Maximus told me not to fight what they want to do, but there's no way I'm going to let them dye my hair! The purple guy keeps coming closer and closer. "Stop! There's no way I'm going to let you dye my hair! That's crossing the line!" "Pshh," He says " You don't know what your talking about. There's a reason I'm the stylist and your a hick from District 10." I gape at him. Oh that's it! As soon as he gets within arms reach, I tip the bowl of goop onto his face. He howls in pain and runs out of the room. I look at the other 2 stylists and say "No one is going to dye my hair. Understand?" They look away from me and nod their head. They finish their prep work and go get my main stylist. She walks in and she's the freakiest person I've seen yet. It looks like she has flowers growing out of her skin. I really can't believe that these Capitol people think this looks good. When she starts talking it snaps me out out of my staring. "Well congratulations. The chemicals in the dye you threw in Likos's face got into his eyes. He's blind now. We hope it's only temporary, but suffice to say, you're not on his good side." I feel a small smile on my face. Good, he desrves that for what he said about me and my District. I ddon't say anything so the flower girl just shakes her head. She reaches into the closet by the door and tells me to turn around. I do as she says, and feel fabric slide over my body. I go to turn around to look in the mirror, but I feel hands on my shoulders keeping me where I am. Flower girl does some touch ups on my hair and makeup then she turns me around. I can't believe what I see. It's a dress made out of cow print that comes down to just above my knees and I have a headband on with cow horns on it. I look completly ridiculous. I can't look at myself any longer so I leave the room.

When I get to the chariots I see that Damon is already there. He's wearing a tuxedo in matching cowprint, a bolo tie, and a cowboy hat. We just look at each other and I know what he's trying to say. His look says "Our stylists are idiots and we look like fools." I shake my head and look around at the other tributes to take my mind off my horrendous outfit. The little District 1 girl is dressed like an angel and it fits her perfectly. The District 3 boy looks like a fighting robot in all black and silver. The District 6 girl is dressed as a sexy nurse and you can tell she hates her outfit just as much as I hate mine. Both District 7 tributes are dressed as trees. Like not even outfits that look like bark and leaves, but heavy looking tress with just their faces sticking out. The District 12 boys is... Interesting. His stylist decided to glue lumps of coal onto a leotard then put it on him so it looks like he's covered in coal. When I turn around to face forward in the chariot, I see Maximus coming towards us. When he can see our outfits clearly he looks horrified. "I can't believe your stylists thought this was a good idea. Oh well there's nothing we can do to change it now. At least you both are better than District 7. I just wanted to remind both of you to play up your angles. You know what that means for each of you right?" Me and Damon nod our heads and Maximus walks away to join the other mentors. The District 1 chariot begins to make its way out so I start to mentally prepare myself. Strong and silent I remind myself. I take a few deep breathes and our chariot is moving. Right before we leave the tunnel, I hear a cacophony of cheers, It's easily the loudest noise I've ever heard. As we make our way down the path to the Presidential Mansion, I can make out people cheering my actual name. "NATALIE! NATALIE! NATALIE!" I have to admit, the cheering does give me a little more hope but I keep the stoic expression on my face. All the chariots stop directly in front of the Mansion and President Cole comes out. I personally don't like the President, but the amount of power this man has leaves me in awe. "Welcome tributes. We in the Capitol recognize your courage and sacrifice. I know all of you will fight to bring honor and glory to your Districts and may the odds be ever in your favor." With that short speech, he goes back inside his house and the chariots pull away. Me and Damon get off the chariots and make our way towards the elevator. The only other person in there is the girl from District 6. I press the button for the 10th floor and we all stand there in silence. Right before the District 6 girl gets off, she turns around and glares at me.

When we arrive on our floor, Maximus and Constance are already there. Constance looks up and says "Well you both managed to not make complete fools of yourselves so congratulations with that." I ignore her and I walk to my room. I get into the shower to wash all the products out of my hair and all the makeup off my face. When I step out I feel completly refreshed and ready for dinner. I get to the dining room and grab the only thing I can recognize, steak. As I'm eating I'm listening to the Capitol peoples chatter. They're not really speaking about anything too interesting or anything that pertains to me so I stay only thing I really latch onto is when Constance says "People have already came up to me and asked me to sponsor Natalie." She cuts her eyes at me briefly before she continues. "I have no idea why. The chariot outfit was hideous and she has no personality to speak of. The only thing I can say is there's always a couple of fools in every bunch. I just hope they don't expect to get their money back." I roll my eyes and take that as my que to leave so I head back to my room.

I'm flipping through the channels on the tv in my room when Maximus walks in. He sits on my bed and says "Lets have a chat." I just nod my head. "First off I want to say that you played your angle on the chariot perfectly. Constance doesn't know what she's talking about when it comes to things like that, so I want you to ignore everything she says about you and your chances. She hasn't liked you much since you threw food at her." I smile at the memory and so does he. "One thing I want to talk about is what happened with the stylist that tried to dye your hair. I heard about what happened but I don't think the rest of the Capitol has yet. They will though, so when the interview comes around you should expect a question or 2 about it. Now I'm not mad at you for it and I think it'll actually help your tough image. Another thing I want to say is that tomorrow at training I want you to focus on survival only. Don't worry about the weapon until the second daay of training." I nod my head again. He gets up to leave but I call him back. "Maximus wait. There's something I need to ask you. On the way up here in the elevator the District 6 girl was glaring at me pretty hard. Do you know anything about her?" Maximus thinks for a second and nods. "I do know some things. Her mentor is a good friend of mine. The girls name is Calista and she sees you and the District 7 girl as her main female competition. It's safe to say she doesn't like either of you. She's been arrested several times in her District for street fighting and she's very physical. I garuntee she's going to be watching you closely tomorrow. That's why I want you to focus only on survival tomorrow so you don't give anything away to her. One way you could handle this is to ally with the District 7 pair if you want." At that suggestion I shake my head. "I've never been the best with people," Maximus interrupts with a snort and says "I hadn't noticed." I give him an annoyed look qnd continue. "Even if I were to ally with them if we all made it far into the game then they would probably team up against me to take me out." He nods and agrees with me. "The best strategy would be for you to go in alone and not seek out direct confrontation with more than one person." I agree and thank him for his advice then he leaves. Since it's the first day of training tomorrow, I lay don to go to sleep. As I'm fading off I remind myself, strong and silent. I have to stay strong and silent.


	4. Chapter 4- Flying Under The Radar

Chapter 4- Flying Under The Radar

Natalie Byer's POV:

I wake up to a pounding on my door and to someone screaming "Natalie get out of bed or you will be LATE!" I groan as I sit up. This reminds me of the morning of the Reaping when my mom was telling me to get out of bed. If I close my eyes I can almost pretend like I'm still there. I hear more shrieking outside of my door in the Capitol accent and sigh. Almost. I get out of bed and put on my training outfit which consists of black sweatpants, a black t-shirt, and black gym shoes. I look at myself as I pass the mirror. I look badass and I kind of like it. When I get to my door, I push extra hard to make sure Constance steps back. Right when I step through the door Constance begins a tirade about manners and the importance of punctuality. I stop and turn around and yell "I was sleeping! I thought that would be ok with everyone since this could be one of the last opprotunities I have to ever sleep in a real bed! You can shut your mouth because I'm clearly out of bed and awake!" I keep walking, leaving a flabergasted Constance behind me. When I reach the dining room I see that Damon is about to leave for the elevator. I grab a few pieces of toast and bacon and followw him. In the elevator, Damon looks at me and says "I heard you yelling at Constance and I thought it was pretty cool." I smile and say "No biggie, she deserved I think." Then I went back to eating. When we reach the bottom, I realize that's the first time I've ever heard Damon speak.

As we all are lining uo before training begins, I have time to think abou this because Callista is late. I can't believe this is the first time I've ever heard Damon talk. That would mean he's even more quiet than me which I didn't even think was possible! As I'm thinkning about this, Callista strolls in, smirking at the rest of us. She looks at the Head Trainer and says "Sorry I'm late. You can start now." Ugh, I don't like her. This is the first time I've ever heard her voice and she's already rubbing me the wrong way. The Head Trainer rolls his eyes and begins to explain the different stations. As he's explaining, I start to plan my day. I think about what skills are most important. I think I should start at edible plants and spend awhile there. Fire starting also seems important as well as snares. The Head Trainer dimisses us and I set off to work.

Before I can even reach the edible plants station, I feel someones eyes on me. I turn around, and sure enough Maximus waas right. Callista is staring at me and she's not even trying to hide it. I turn around to ignore her and make my way towards edible plants. When I get there, the trainer begins to describe the differences between edible and poisonous plants. After her brief speech, she lays out about 30 plants and tells me to sort them into edible and inedible piles. I take my time sorting them and I end up getting 28 out of 30 correct. It turns out I mixed up Nightlock and blueberries. The trainer tells me that this is a fatal mistake, one bite of Nightlock and I'd be dead in seconds. I decide right there that in the arena I'll avoid all berries that even resemble these 2. I stay there for another couple of hours untl the lunch bell rings.

I get my food in the cafeteria and sit down. Most tributes are sitting with their District partners except for a few that are sitting alone. That includes me, Damon, Callista, and the District 12 boy. It looks like all the other Districts decided to stick together. I start eating my food, but I get interuppted. It's the little girl from District 1. "Hi, my name's Chastity. I was wondering if you wanted to team up in the arena? You see like one of the stronger tributes here so I was wondering if you would want to be partners." I stare at her. She looks so innocent so it breaks my heart to say "I'm sorry, sweetie but I think it would be best for me to be by myself. I'm sure there's someone willing to help you. You seem nice enough, but I'm not really much of a people person." Her face falls and she says "Thats ok. I'm happy you listened to me though. That evil District 6 girl just laughed at me and told me I'm too weak to ever be around her. Well thanks for listening." She turns and walks away. I can't believe that Callista could just laugh at her like that. It's true I turned her down, but at least I was respectful about it and I feel bad about it. My dislike for Callista just grew. The bell rings to let us back into the gym so I head to fire starting.

Before I get tot he station, District 7 is there. I debate in my head if I should just pick a different station, but I decide to just go for it. I sit down next to the make tribute and begin listening to the trainer. After he gets done explaining how to make a basic fire, he lets us practice. The District 7 kids get it right away. I guess i really shouldn't be surprised seeing as they're the lumber people and all. It takes me quite a while to get the fire to catch. The only reason I got it to catch at all is because after struggling for a good 10 minutes, the District 7 male fixes the way I have my sticks arranged so the tinder catches quicker. I give him a small smile of thanks and turn back to my fire. I spend about 30 more minutes there before I feel confident that I can at least make a small, basic fire. I leave fire making and head to snares. Thankfully there's no one at the snares station. There's 2 trainers there. One that shows me how to make snares to catch animals and another one that can show me how to make snares to catch people. I focus more on the snares for animals. It seems a little wrong to catch a person in a snare like they're an animal. Snares are kind of easy for me to pick up. I'm used to working with a lasso on the farm, so rope is familiar to me. I spend the rest of my day there until the bell rings, dismissing us. I walk to the elevator feeling good I stuck with the plan all day.

Back in the District 10 floor, everyone is there waiting for us. Maximus looks up when he hears us come through the door. He looks at us and asks "How did it go?" Damon just shrugs, but I give him a small smile. It all went according to plan. After another dinner filled with pointless conversation I didn't take part in, Maximus comes into my room. "Do you do this with Damon too? Or do you just come in here and give me advice?" I can tell my question throws him. "I told you I needed to make a choice about who I wanted to help. I also told you I picked you. I think it's best if i start distancing myself from Damon if I have nothing to offer him. What I came in here to talk about is training today." "It went as well as it could've. I stuck with the plan and only visited survival stations. I can identify edible plants, make a fire, and set snares. The only thing that happened that's worth bringing up is that the District 1 girl, Chastity, came up and asked me for an alliance. I turned her down of course, but it broke my heart to do it. She just seems so innocent. She also said she came up to me because i seemed like one of the strongest. She went up to Callista too, but Callista just laughed at her." Maximus takes a deep breath and says "Well I think you did the right thing. She's cute and will atract sponsors, that's for sure. But she also seems like she would be a hinderance to you in the arena. That could be her angle. Stay near someone strong so they can protect her. It's a smart move, but you need to remember that only one person can come out of that arena. You need to decide right now if that's going to be you or not." I sit there shocked at his bluntness. He keeps looking at me, I guess he expects an answer. "I'm going to fight for myself. There's no one here that I would die for. I will come out of that arena alive." He smiles at me and nodds his head. "Good. That's what I needed to hear."


	5. Chapter 5- Observations

Chapter 5-Observations (second day of training)

Natalie Byer's POV:

I make sure I wake up early enough this morning to avoid another screaming match with Constance. I actually wake up early enough to take a shower. When I get out of the shower, I feel refreshed and ready to go to training. I go out to the dining room and I'm the first one there. I load up my plate with food and begin eating. About halfway through my food, everyone else starts walking in. Maximus sits down next to me, leans in a little and whispers to me "Today during training, I want you to obeserve all the other tributes. Watch them very closely and see what you can learn about your competition." I just nod my head. I see Damon sitting across from me looking defeated. I remember back to when Maximus said he chose me. I wonder if he's been helping Damon at all. I just look at him with pity in my eyes. Maximus sees this and sighs. "Remember, today you need to find a weapon to use. Try tp find one you're at least decent with, and if you find one you exel with, even better. But, once you find one you're good at and you practice with it a bit, put it down and don't touch it again. You don't want to give anything away to the other tributes about your abilities." He glances up at the clock and shoos us into the elevator. In the elevator, I can't help looking at Damon. He has the same defeated look on his face as before. "So," I say "Maximus must have gave us the same advice before if he can tell us both." He looks up at me and says "Actually, that's the first bit of advice he ever gave me. He only ever talks to you." He must have seem the look of pity on my face because he continues. "It's ok. There's two of us and only one of him so it makes sense that he wou;d have to choose between us. It's kind of obvious that he picked you. I don't really blame him. If I was in his position, I would've picked you too. You're stron and ahve a real chance of winning. I'm just... A weakling." As he spoke, my heart was breaking. Everything he was saying was absolutely true. What's wore than it being true is that he knows it's true and he's ok with it! I feel like I have to say something, but I don't know what. I can't offer to be allies with him, that would only lead to my death and I promised Maximus that I would fight for myself. As the doors open, I look at Damon and say "How about if we see each other in the arena, we let each other go? We won't fight and we won't attack each other." He has a small smile in his face as he says "Ok deal."

The Head Trainer gives a briefer version of the speech he gave yesterday and we're free to roam around. I head over to the weapons sectoin but don't go over to any of the stations. A trainer comes up to me and asks "What seems to be the problem?" I tell her "Well I want to find a weapon, but I have no idea where to start." She considers this for a moment and says "You look like you have enough strngth behind you to be able to use some of the heavier weaponry such as swords, axes, and machetes. However, I don't think the really heavy weapons like maces and flails would be effective. Once you try some of those weapons you might want to try throwing knives, archery, or spear throwing so you can ahve some knowledge of distance weapons too." I nod my head in agreement with what she said and give her a "Thank you!" as I head over to the swords section. When I get there I tell the trainer to tell me everything he knows about swords. He begins a lengthy lecture about how you hold a sword, how you defend with one, and how you properly attack with one. After he finishes his speech, he gives me a sword and puts on some pads. I look at him confusidly and he says "We're going to spar." I just nod my head and he begins his attack. At first, I don't feel comfortable with the sword in my hand so I just defend. Eventually I get into a groove and start fighting back. We go back and forth for awhile with no one really gaining much ground on the other until the trainer brings back his arm and hits my sword so hard it flies out of my hand. I feel defeated and turn to walk away, but the trainer stops me. "I know I disarmed you, but you actually held your own pretty well. Remember that I'm an expert with swords. The way you were fighting, I would say that you would be able to go up against pretty much any tribute here if you have a sword on you." I smile greatfully and head over to the axe station. As I'm walking up, I see the District 7 tributes there. They're hacking the dummies to pieces! I guess I shouldn't be too surprised with District 7 being the lumber District, I bet they've used axes since they could walk. I definintly won't be trying to fight them with an axe. That would be suicide! I don't even pause there, so I head over to the machete station. When I get there, the trainer smiles at me. I ask her the same thing I asked the swords trainer. She also has a lot to say about her weapon and talks for a long time. Eventually she too starts to put on pads so we can spar. Again, I don't feel very comfortable with the weapon in my hand, but I get over that quicker than I did with the swords. Once I start attacking, I actually gain some ground. Eventually, I try to do the same thing the swords trainer did. I bring my arm back far and hit her machete with my own. Her weapon flies from her hand and she smiles at me. "Congratulations, you win. I'm happy to say you have great skill with a machete." Just then, the bell for lunch rings and I walk to the cafeteria with a smile on my face.

Once I'm in the cafeteria, I think that would be a good time to observe the others. There's only a few that stand out to me so I spend my time watching them. Chastity sits by herself. I guess she hasn't found an alliance yet. Despite the fact that she's by herself, she looks just as happy and angelic as ever. The District 3 boy is sitting with his District partner. So I guess they're in an alliance together. That could be potentially dangerous because they both look extremly intelligent. The way he looks at her, however is like he's looking at a younger sister. I bet that in the arena he'll be protecting her. I move on and see the District 7 pair together. That's no surprise, it doesn't seem like they've left each others side since the Reaping. They seem very confident in themselves and after seeing them at the axe station, I can't blame them. Despite the fact they're confident in their abilities and are clearly two of the strongest tributes here, they don't seem very eager about fighting the others. The same can't be said for Callista. Just the way she looks at others, even the District 7 kids, makes it clear that she's ready to fight any and everybody. Just the way she holds herself, you can see arrogence coming off of her in waves. It seems everything about her rubs me the wrong way. She acts like she's already won, and everything else is just a waste of her time. The bad thing is that it's entirely possible she could be right. I've seen her at the hand-to-hand combat station and she pinned the trainer almost immediatly. She also showed a talent with spears. I can only hope that someone else takes care of her in the arena. I wouldn't want to meet up with her, that's for sure. I look over to the District 12 boy next. He's sitting with the District 1q girl. That seems odd because they're the only alliance between people from different Districts that I can see. The District 12 boy looks completly relxed sitting by her, like he already trusts her with his life. This either means he's kind of an idiot, or he manipulated her into protecting his life with her own. Either way, the District 11 girl is now on my threats list because of her pairing with the District 12 boy. I try to remember if I noticed anything about her from the Reaping,the Parade, or training yesterday. I vaugely remember her at the throwing knives station and having some success. She hit the target about half the time. While I'm still looking at the pair, the bell dismissing us from lunch rings. As I throw away the food on my plate, I realize that I spent all of my linch observing the others and not eating. Oh well, it was definintly worth it.

Back in the training center, I go to the ranged weapons sections. First, I head to throwing knives. The trainer demonstraites the proper grip and how to flick your wrist when releasing. After her demonstration, the trainer lines up about 30 knives to throw. I try to do exactly what the trainer showed me, but out of the first 10 only 2 managed to stick into the taget. The trainer shows me the grip and wrist motion again in slow motion, having me mirror her. Out of the next 10, 4 hit the target. Well, at least I'm improving. The trainer goes to demostraite yet again, but I stop her. "Thank you for being patient with me, but I don't think throwing knives are my thing. I think I'll go try something else." The trainer gives me a sad smile as I walk toward the archery section. There, I seem to have more luck. Once the trainer shows me how to aim, I shoot 10 arrows. 6 of them stick into the target, most of them hitting vital places. The trainer smiles at me and says "You have the most raw talent of anyone whose came here so far. Training is almost up for today, but if you come back tomorrow I'll help you so all 10 arrows will hit the target." I feel bad for the man as I say "I'm sorry, but I think I already have a good main weapon. I just wanted to be ok with something ranged just in case. Thank you though." I feel awkward just standing there with the archery trainer any longer so I walk away, looking for something else to do. I don't have to wait long because the bell rings, dismissing us from another day of training.

Back in my room after another boring dinner, I sit waiting for Maximus. It's become routine for him to come and talk to me about my day. Usually he's the one talking, but now I have something to say to him. Sure enough, not even a minute later, he's walking in. Before he can even open his mouth, I start screaming at him. "How could you just give up on Damon! I understand that you have to pick one of us eventually, but you just completely gave up on him. He told me that what you said to the both of us this morning was the only advice you gave to him! The least you could do is talk to him! He can't be more than 14 years old and he already accepted that he's going to die! Do you not get how emotionally traumatizing that has to be? You're not helping the situation by ignoring that he's even here! You're suppossed to mentor both of us! Not just pick one of us to live and one of us to die! If you're going to keep doing this, you need to show a little more compassion!" I stop yelling and look at him for answers. He looks at me serious. "Sit down" he orders. I do but I can't calm down. I'm breathing like I just ran a mile and I'm glaring daggers at him. "Look you're right that I gave up on him. Again, there's one of me and two of you. I had to make a choice about who I think will come out of this alive. I thought that after I chose, the best course of action was to distance myself from him so I wouldn't get attatched and he wouldn't have unrealistic expectations once you both go to the arena. Maybe that wasn't the best decision, but it's too late to go back and change it, and I don't plan on having to do this for long. Actually, I think by this time next year that I'll be out of a job." I take a moment to let that sink in. If he's out of a job next year that means then I'll have won. That thought calms me down a little. He feels that confident that I could win, he's betting his job on it. He continues "Now that we have that little rant out of the way, tell me how training went and what you learned about the others." I nod and think for a second about where I want to start. "Well I trained with swords fora little bit and the trainer said I hve a decent ability with them. Then I went and trained with a machete. The trainer there said I was very skilled. I was even able to disarm her." Maximus just nods, not wanting to comment yet. "Then I spent lunch observing the other tributes. Chastity seems happy and bubbly, regardless of the situation. I don't think the seriousness of the situation has sunk in for her yet. The District 3 tributes are in an alliance together. I think that could be dangerous because they both look extremely intelligent. Callista from District 6 seems overly confident, bordering on arrogence. She acts like she already won and this is all a formality and there's something about her that rubs me the wrong way. The District 7 tributes are confident too but htey actually seem like they could be nice. They seem like they don't want to hurt anybody, but they certainly have the ability. Also, the District 12 boy is in an alliance with the District 11 girl. So far they seem like the only alliance outside of District partners. They also seem unnaturally close with one another." Maximus considers everything I've told him. "You did a great job of observing the others. The only thing I can tell you about Chastity is that don't let her get into your emotions. In the arena you can't show anyone mercy, no matter how innocent they look. The district 3 pair could turn be a threat if they have the stuff to show their intelligence in the arena. Callista on the other hand is definintly a threat. Her mentor keeps telling me how agressive she is and how she always talks about how she's for sure going to win and how there's no competition for her. If I were you, I'd try to avoid her in the arena unless absolutely necessarry. The District 7 pair are absolutely anither threat, even though they aren't prepared to kill. They could gain the nerve in the arena, so watch out for them too. The district 11 and 12 alliance is interesting. They seem to have gotten close in a short amount of time to trust each other even more than their own District partners. My guess is that the District 12 boy manipulated her in some way. He dosn't seem dumb enough to blindly trust someone." I just nod and don't bother telling him about the archery. I'm so tired and all I want to do is go to sleep. I yawn and he chuckles and says "I'll just leave now, I can see you're tired."

I don't bother showering, I just take off my training outfit and climb into bed. Just as I'm about to drift off, I hear my door open. I look up and see Damon's figure in the doorway. Once he sees that I'm awake he starts talking. "I just want to say thank you. I heard you yelling at Maximus earlier and I just want to say thank you for standing up for me. no one has ever done that before and it means a lot. I know my chances of getting out of this are slim, but it makes me happy that I can be here with someone who cares a little about me." He stops talking, shuts my door quickly, and runs away. I smile to myself and say "No problem Damon" then slip off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6- Performances

Chapter 6- Performances ( 3rd day of training, gamemaker performances, training scores)

Natalie Byer's POV:

As I wake up, I realize it's the last day of training. Maximus hasn't given me any instructions for today, so I guess I'm just going to wing it. I don't bother with the shower today and I head straight to breakfast. When I get there, everyone but Damon is already at the table. As I start eating, Constance begins to look more and more uncomfortable. After about 5 minutes of watching her fidgit around in her seat, she gets up with a huff and heads to Damons door. I can hear her banging on his door and calling him a myriad of names to get him to hurry up. As she's coming back into the dining room with a very tired looking Damon behind her, I make sure she notices the eye roll I give her. Damon only has a chance to eat for 10 minutes before Constance and Maximus herd us to the elevator. On the way down, I can't help but to keep glancing over at Damon. I remember how he came in last night and thanked me for standing up for him. I take a deep breath and say "Damon I think you're a great kid and if we were back in District 10 I think we could be friends, but I think you're getting kind of attatched to me. As much as I hate to say it, I think you need to start distancing yourself from me. Maximus has told me many times that I need to distance myself from everyone, including you, and I think that you should do the same." Damon just stands there for a second, looking as if he didn't hear a word I said. He finally speaks up and says "I know the smart thing would be to start to ignore you or seperate myself from you, but I honestly don't want to. If that ends up hurting me in the end then so be it. I knew from the second I got Reaped alongside you, that I didnt stand a chance. Then when I got here and saw some of the other tributes, I knew I was doubly screwed. So I know there's basically no chance of me winning and I would like to think that before I died, I still made one friend here." I can't say anything, I'm too shocked. I just look at him until the Head Trainer dimisses us to train.

I try to forget about Damon pretty much saying he's ready to die as I look around for something to do. I realize just how much I relied on mine and Maximus's plan during training. I had planned out my every move usually at least a day in advance. Now that I have nothing to do or anything I deem necessary to learn, I have no idea what I want to do. I finally decide to head over to the climbing station because it seems like a good skill to learn and it looks kind of fun. When I get to the station, the trainer explains the basics of finding a good foot or handhold and tells me the objective is to just get as high as I can. He explains that it's almost impossibel to get to the very top so to not overexert myself trying to reach it. He straps me in and tels me to begin. In the beginning, the holds are easy to find and grip. However, I notice as I get higher that the holds aren't as sturdy and are spaced farther apart. About halfway up the wall, I have to start stretching my arms as far as they will go and standing on the tips of my toes to reach the next hold. Even though the holds are becoming very difficult to reach, I keep on going. I'm determined to make it as high as I physically can. About 3 quarters of the way up, I can't reach the next hold even if I stretch. I decide to try to jump for it and grab it. Ok, I tell myself, I can do this. I jump off my footholds as hard as I can and manage to grab a hold directly above me. I pull myself up before I realize this is as far as I can make it. So instead of trying to continue up the wall and risk injuring myself, I rapel down the wall and without a word the trainer unhooks me from the harness. Now that I'm standing on the ground and looking up at the wall, I'm pretty proud of myself for getting as high as I did. I look at the clock and it says theres about 30 more minutes until lunch. I probably have time for one more station. I decide on the obsticale course. I'm the only one in line for it so I can go straight in. The course consists of moving platforms and padded things being swung down at me. Also, there's trainers waiting by the coursse with foam sword looking things that I guess they'll swing at me. Before I start, the trainer hands me a foam sword thing for me to use. The trainer blows a whistle, and I launch into the course. First, I hvae to hop from platform to platform as they swing while the trainers try to knock me off. After that, the padded bags start to swing towards my heand. I realize I can't dodge them all, so I use my foam sword to knock some of them away. I make it through that part without much difficulty, so that only leaves the last part left. This part only has trainers trying to knock me off as I run past. I jump over the ones swinging at my feet and duck under the ones swinging at my head. I try to use my "sword" to try to block the ones swinging at the rest of me. I make to the end with only receiving a few hits. I'm feeling pretty proud of myself as the bell rings, signalling lunch.

At lunch the only thing I can think of is the upcoming asessments from the Gamemakers. They don't hesitate in calling us in. Before any of us can even sit down, there's a robotic voice saying "Chatitiy LOwell, District 1 female" calling the angelic looking tribute into her private session. One by one the Gamemakers call us in to perform. By the time they get halfway through at District 6, I'm finished eating. The voice says "Callista Moore, District 6 female" and she walks in with an arrogent smirk at the rest of us. Ugh, I'm so glad she's gone. She was glaring at me, District 7, and the pair from Districts 11 and 12. Me and the District 7 pair ignored her, but the District 11 girl was glaring right back. Every time she did that Callista would give her a sly smile, as if she just wanted the reaction. Now that she's gone, the air in the room seems less tense. We all just sit in silence as our numbers decrease, little by little. Finally, the voice calls "Natalie Byer,, District 10 female." I take a deep breath, and walk in.

When I walk in I immediatly notice that the Gamemakers are disinterested in what's happening to say the least. Some are eating and drinking, some are having conversations, some even looked like they are asleep! A grand total of about 5 Gamemakers are actually looking at me. I try to get their attention by clearing my throat loudly. That seems to get a few more of them to look at me. I figure this is the best audience I'm going to get so I start my performance. The first thing I do is go over to the edible plants station. The test is all layed out for me so I begin. I get most of them right, the only ones I miss are the blueberry looking fruits which I promised myself I wouldn't touch. After that, I go over to the archery station to show my ranged weapons skills. I pick about 20 arrows to shoot. I fire the first arrow and it sails by the target. The bowstring feels tighter than what I remember so it takes a few more shots to get the feel of the weapon. Out of all 20 arrows, I hit near, or on the center of the target 15 times. Not bad, I tell myself as I go to the machete station. This is my finale, my best weapon. I put on the pads to spar with a trainer. After I have all the pads on, I motion for a trainer to come at me. He swings at me with a viciousness I'm not prepared for. My plan was to attack first, but the trainer didn't let that happen. I'm on the defensive for longer than I like. I feel like the Gamemakers aren't impressed by me at all and that angers me. I dodge under one swing from the trainer and go behind his back. I slash at his back while its turned to me. I know I made contact by the grunt I hear come from him. He turns around really fast while swinging his machete. I see the perfect opening. I dodge once again and smash the butt of my machete into his elbow. The trainer howls in pain and drops his weapon. Before he can collect himself, I tackle him to the ground and put my blade to his throat and say "I win." I roll off and look at the Gamemakers. They look impressed as who I guess is the Head Gamemaker says "You're dismissed."

Happiness surges through me as I get into the elevator and lasts until I walk on to the District 10 floor. Everyone hears me walk in so Maximus lifts his head and asks "So how did it go?" I just give him a smile as I head to my room. In the hallway I can hear Constance complain "That girl is so rude, she doesn't even have the decency to address her mentor!" Even that comment can't undo my happiness. I decide to shower and take a nap before dinner. I wake up to Damon actually knocking on my door to wake me up. He opens the door just to make sure I'm awake and when he sees that I am, he offers an explanation. "I saw Constance coming to wake you up and I remember how well that went the first time, so I offered to come and get you." I nod at him in thanks and push past him into the hallway. It hurts to not actually say thank you, but I feel like that would go against everything i told him in the elevator earlier today. In the dining room we eat in silence. Finally, one meal without the mindless chatter! As everyone is finishing dessert, Constance reminds us we need to stay to see the training socres. We all spend a few more minutes eating before we go to a room with a huge tv in it.

When the tv comes on, I begin to feel restless. The announcer comes on with a cheery "Hellooo Panem, my name is Atticus Cowry and I want to welcome you to the first ever tribute score reveal! Before we start, I want to remind you all that I will also be interviewing each tribute tomorrow night! Now, we begin in District 1 with Chastity Lowell, with a score of 5." A 5 doesn't seem that bad and I feel myself feel happy for the small girl. The scores all blur together until Atticus gets to District 6. "Callista moor, with a score of 9" I can't help but groan, that's the highest score so far! She's probably gloating about her 9 right now! "Moving on to District 7 with Abby Parker, with a score of 10! Her partner Cain Iverly, receives a 9!" Good for District 7. They both either outscored or matched that witch Callista. I zone out until Atticus reaches District 10. "Natalie Byer, with a score of 7! Damon Brown receives a score of 4!" All the people turn and look at me with pride, except Constance of course. I kind of feel bad for Damon because everyone ignores his score. I'm happy though, because a 7 is exactly what I wanted. I turn back to the program as it's District 11's turn "Myra Sanchez, with a score of 6!" Hmm a 6 is pretty good. I'll have to see what her ally gets. Speaking of the District 12 boy, his picture comes up "Leo Tolly, with a score of 8!" That's the last score of the evening so the program ends with Atticus reminding us all to tune in to watch the interviews tomorrow, as if we have a choice.

Maximus speaks up. "Tomorrow you will both each have 4 hours with me for content for your interviews and 4 hours with Constance for presentation. Now, that's all I have to say right now so goodnight and make sure you both get some slee." With that Maximus actually heads to his room, so I guess he won't be talking with me tonight. I go back to my room and lay down. As I'm drifting off, I think about the scores. I got what I wanted but got outscored by 4 other tributes. I can't say I'm surprised because I predicted that they would go all out and not hold back like I did. The last thing I think of is the number 7. Perfectly average, like me.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7- Interview Day (interview prep, interview, night before Games)

Natalie Byer's POV:

I wake up to a gentle shaking. When I open my eyes, I'm surprised to see Maximus standing there. "I thought I'd come and wake you up because every time Constance does it, you two always seem to end up screaming at each other." He says that with a smirk on his face so I know he's not actually mad. I grunt in affirmation; that's probably what would've happened if she had come and woke me up. I shoo Maximus out of my room so I can get dressed. He leaves me to get dressed so I get out of bed and head to my closet. I know I'll be prepping for my interview today, so I just grab a t-shirt and sweatpants to put on. Once I get dressed, I head out to the dining room. When I get there, everyone is eating in silence as usual. As everyone is wrapping up their meal, Maximus looks at me and Damon and says "As I said last night, you both will receive 4 hours of prep with both Constance and myself. I will work with you for content and she will work with you for presentation. Natalie, you will start with me and Damon, you will start with Constance." With those instructions, he heads back to his room. I quickly finish eating then head towards his room as well.

As I approach his door, I feel nervous for some reason. I realize that every time he's talked to me has been in my room. I've never had to go to him for advice, he always looked for me. I knock on his door and wait fo him to let me in. I don't have to wait long, it seems like he was waiting for me. I walk in and he gestures for me to sit on the couch he has i his room. His room looks even more luxurious than mine. "Well," he starts "I don't think we have to work on developing an angle for you. You've played the strong and silent role perfectly. You've blended in enough not to be seen as the number 1 threat, but you have stood out enough to get some sponsor attention. Speaking of sponsors, I think I should explain to you how it will work. What sponsorship essentially is Capitol citizens betting on your survival. That's what the training scores are for. They give the sponsors an idea of how well you will do. That's not to say that the tribute with the highest score will definitely win, but they may have more sponsors. With the money the sponsors give, I can send you items in the arena to help you survive. I'm telling you now that you shouldn't rely on the sponsors for you to win. You're going to have to put in the work yourself. Since you have one of the highest scores, people will be watching out for you. That means as the Game goes on and the longer you survive, the more people will notice what you can actually do. Eventually, you will have to kill another person. I want you to be ready for that. However, the number of people you kill and how you end their life is up to you. You don't seem like the type who would draw out another's end or seek out confrontation. As the number begin to dwindle you might have to start seeking out the others. The Capitol is expecting a lot of action so if they feel bored, the Gamemakers will want to ramp up the excitement and trust me, you don't want to see their idea of excitement." I just nod my head as he speaks. I don't see how he can talk so casually about killing other kids. "Maximus, how can you talk like that? You're talking about me ending another human life. that's so wrong! How will my family react to me hurting someone? That isn't who I am!" As I keep talking, there's a growing hysteria inside of me. I can't stomach the idea of ending another human's life. For the first time since the Justice Building in District 10, I feel tears welling up in my eyes. Maximus sees this and tries to comfort me. "I'm not going to lie to you Natalie, I have no idea how you feel in this situation. I've never been in a place to have to hurt another person. That's one of the reasons I want you to come back so badly; so that you can help the future tributes from your District. Us Capitol mentors can't be of too much help, we can't understand your situation. When the time comes and you have to fight for your life, just remember that you have a family to come back to and think of how devastated they would be if you didn't come back. After the fact, there will undoubtedly be issues you'll have to deal with. Just know that you'll always have me, you'll never be truly alone." I smile at the thought of always having him to support me. "Thank you. I just hope I'm strong enough to deal with everything that'll happen. I'm afraid someone like Callista will easily be able to take me down." Maximus starts to laugh. Actually laugh! "There's no reason to be scared of someone like Callista. She has a high score, it's true. However because of that, you know what she can do. You watched her during training so you know her skills. Also all the Capitol sees her as the strongest so nothing she does will surprise them. That's what you have, the element of surprise." He glances at the clock. "Our time is almost up. You should head to lunch. I have a feeling you're going to need the energy to deal with Constance for 4 hours."

I follow Maximus's suggestion and go to lunch. Since I'm about half an hour early, I'm by myself. Considering the people who I have to choose from to keep me company, I'm more than ok with being by myself. I've always been that way. Ever since i was old enough to work on the farm, I haven't really had a social life. I haven't seen it as important. My family has and always will come first to me. I'm lost in thoughts of my family until I'm interrupted by Damon walking in and Constance stomping in. From the look on both of their faces I can tell it didn't go well. Great, now I have to deal with a pissed off Constance instead of just the usual overly annoying version. As we're all eating, Maximus comes in to join us. Constance looks at him and says "Well Maximus, it seems you were right. The boy really is hopeless. I couldn't drag a decent action out of him to save my life! I can only hope that the girl is better, but I doubt it." I make a promise to myself to make my session hell for her for what she said about me and Damon. Just thinking about the different ways I can get under her skin makes me happy. When we finish eating Constance stands up, grabs my arm and practically drags me to my room.

When we enter my room Constance throws a floor length gown and really high heels at me and says "Hurry and put this on. The quicker you get dressed, they quicker we can get started and therefore, done. I know I don't want to be here any more than you do." I just glare at her then go to my bathroom to put on the clothes she gave me. The dress is so long that it has a train on the floor and the heels make me a good 6 inches taller. With the dress and the heels joined, I'll be lucky if I don't sprain an ankle. As I'm walking out of the bathroom, I pull the skirt of the dress up so I have more room to move my legs. This sends Constance into a hissy fit. "No no no! you should never lift up your dress! It's made that length for a reason so leave it there!" I just sigh and drop the dress back down. The walk to the chair she has set up in the middle of the room feels endless because I have to take a million tiny steps to avoid tripping over my feet. The whole time Constance asks me questions Atticus might ask me while pointing out the faults in my body language. She says I'm coming off closed off and bored. I tell her endlessly that that's my angle but she can't seem to get it through her head! After the thousandth time of hearing "You have to smile! It makes it seem like you have a personality, which Panem knows you don't!" I snap "Just shut up! I'm not going for the smiling cheerful girl! Why can't you seem to get it through your incredibly thick skull that pretending to be cheerful won't work for me? If you can't help me with the angle I've already chosen and committed to, then just leave!" She stands there for a moment, looking shocked. I step towards her to force her out but she leaves on her own after sending a glare my way. I check the clock and see that I have a good 2 hours before I need to meet my prep team, so I take off the gown, kick off me heels, and take a nap.

I wake up again to Maximus shaking me. "You slept too late and missed dinner. It's time to meet your prep team. I suggest you hurry." He leaves and I quickly throw on the clothes I was wearing before Constance forced me into that awful outfit. I hurry out of my room to find Maximus waiting for me. He doesn't say anything, just grabs my arm to hurry me up. He pauses in the dining room and passes me a few rolls to eat while I'm getting ready. The elevator ride to the prep area is too quick for me because I didn't have a chance to eat all of my food. There's 3 Capitol stylists waiting for me and thankfully, Likos isn't one of them. I guess he quit or was reassigned. I don't feel bad for him one bit, he was rude and I hope to never see him again. I try to block out the stylists chatter as the do my hair and makeup. They only talk about parties, fashion, and the Games. The only time I pay attention is when they talk about her the Games. From what they say, Callista is the favorite to win, but I'm not far behind her. That gives me a small comfort. Maybe I can surpass her in my interview. The stylists finish their work speedily and leave to go find the flower girl. When she comes in she has me face away from the mirror so I can't see myself right away. I feel the dress slip over me and I can feel it's about ankle length. Thank goodness for that. I don't think I'd be able to walk across the stage if it was floor length or longer. Flower girl turns me around and I gasp at my reflection. The dress is a deep red color that makes me look older than I actually am. It makes me look intimidating but in a sophisticated way. She sees my reaction and says "I heard the rest of your team didn't like the chariot outfit that much so I saw this as my attempt at redemption. Judging by your reaction, I think I did a good job." She gives me a confident smirk then hands me my shoes. When I'm fully ready, she leads me to the area where all the tributes are waiting.

We weren't waiting for long. A Capitol man came onto the stage and said a few things. Shortly after, Atticus came on stage, then the cameras started rolling. He says a few things to engage the audience, then the interviews start. "Lets welcome our first tribute. FRom District 1, the lovely Chastity Lowell!" The small girl makes her way onto the stage. It's obvious to see what her mentor and stylist were going for. Her dress is pure white and makes her look about 10 instead of 12. She exudes innocence and purity. She's all smiles as she greets Atticus. "Hello Chastity! It's nice to finally meet you and let me say you look just fabulous in that outfit!" Chastity giggles and says "Thank you! You look lovely too!" I have to stifle a laugh. I guess in the Capitol, Atticus would look nice, but in the Districts, we would see him as a freak. He's wearing a mustard yellow suit that clashes horribly with his bright orange hair. The most striking thing about him though, is his eyes. They're a deep blood-red color, like my dress. They freak me out a little to be honest. I turn my attention back to the interview. "Thank you Chastity! I worked hard on this outfit!" The interview mostly focuses on lighter topics like that until Atticus asks "As you know, you're the youngest tribute here. As the youngest, how do you feel about your chances?" "Well Atticus, I'm not delusional in thinking my chances are that great. I'm well aware that I'm the youngest and the smallest one here. However, that doesn't mean I don't plan on trying. I will try my hardest to get back to my family. There's just one thing I want to say to anyone who is considering sponsoring me. If the unthinkable happens and I die, please consider sponsoring another tribute with the money you would've spent on me. Just make sure that tribute is a good person. There's a lot of people here who will try to pretend like they're nice people just to get your money, so just be careful on who you sponsor." Her last statement makes me smile. I remember the scene in the cafeteria the first day of training between her and Callista, and can't help but think that she's calling her out directly. I don't know if Callista realizes that and if she does if it will come back hurt Chastity in the end.

I'm not paying attention to the interviews until the District 3 boy is up. His outfit is a traditional black suit with a light blue tie and pocket square. After the required greeting between him and Atticus, you can see what the boy is going for. Every thought that comes out of his mouth seems well thought out and very to the point. He is letting his intelligence show. "Now as we all know, District 3 is the technology District. Do you take part in your Districts industry yet?" "Yes Atticus, I'm involved very heavily in my industry. I'm an apprentice under a very skilled inventor who specializes in electrical conduction. Also, at school I'm in all the advanced math and science classes. Everyone tells me that I have a bright future." This is an interesting approach. He keeps referring back to his future and his intelligence. He's trying to impress the crowd with his mind instead of his muscle. I have to say it's working with me. He just made himself look a little more dangerous to me. I have to remember the electricity thing for sure.

I zone out until Callista comes on the stage. She's wearing a silver dress with diamonds all over it. It looks hard and cold, which matches her attitude. When Atticus tries to greet her, she just walks straight past him and sits down in the chair. After the awkward hello's, Atticus tries to keep the mood light. This works pretty well until he brings up her training score. "Callista, you received a 10 in training. You must feel very confident going into the arena right?' She gives a very harsh laugh and says "Of course I feel confident. There is no tribute here who can match up with me. Everyone else here is weak! Take the District 1 girl for instance. She's already talking as if she's dead. Since she's plans on being dead in the near future, she should be. If you want to be a winner, you have to act as if you've already won. Like me! This whole thing seems like a waste of time. I know I'm the best here and obviously the Gamemakers think so too. President Cole should just give me the crown now and not bother wasting his own time with everyone else." Ugh, I can't believe the attitude this girl has. How dare she consider herself Victor before the Game even starts? I hope she gets whats coming to her in the arena! After her little rant, Atticus tries to make the tension go away. "So what do you think about our lovely Capitol now that you've had time to see it?" She just shrugs her shoulder. 'To be honest Atticus, it's pretty underwhelming. After seeing it on tv for years, I expected more glamour. I'm kind of bored by it actually." I can't believe what I've just heard. This girl is a complete idiot! She just insulted the people who could save her life in the arena. I think back to something Maximus told me. Capitol people don't like being insulted, and she just insulted all of them. I knew her arrogance would come back to hurt her, but I didn't expect it to be this soon. With that last comment, Callista's turn is over.

It's the District 7's turn next. They both have similar angles. They oth come off friendly, but determined. They don't show their power outright, but you would have to be blind to not see it. It turns out they did know each other from before the Reaping. They've been friends since childhood. That must be one of the worst thin. To be Reaped with one of your friends. The only people I've known since childhood are my brothers. I couldn't possibly imagine being Reaped with one of them. The District 7's interviews aren't that remarkable actually. They used sincerity and humor to charm the audience, and it works pretty well for them. They'll have a good amount of sponsors for sure.

Before I know it, the Dt 9 boy is being ushered off the stage and my turn is up. "Now lets welcome our favorite girl from District 10, Natalie Byer!" I slowly make my way towards the interview chair and I thank Panem that my shoes aren't as high as the ones I practiced in. "Hello Natalie, you look lovely today. I think red might be one of your best colors!" "Thank you Atticus! I think you look nice as weel. But I think my dress would look better one you. It matches your eyes." The crowd lets out howls of laughter. After that, the interview goes as the others have. I play up my angle by not giving lengthy answers, sometimt even answering out loud at all. My strategy getsrown out the window when he asks about my family. "Well now we know a little about you, but tell us about your family and your life back in District 10." I take a deep breath and say "My parents own a pretty successful horse farm that I've worked on since I could walk. My favorite thing is taking the horses out for exercise. My rothers work on the farm too. They're both younger than me, but still of Reaoing , I was more worried about them tthan myself. Even when my name was called, I was still thinking about them. They're names are Buckle and Leather." Atticus looks as if he's about to say something, but the buzzer goes off. "Give a round of applause for Natalie Byer from District 10!" I walk off the stage and towards the elevators.

When I walk of the stage, a wave of exhaustion hits me. I don't feel like staying to listen to the other interviews. I make my to the elevators to go back to my room. When I get to my floor, Maximus is there waiting. "There's not much left to talk about now. We could go over your strategy again if you want." I just shake my head and go back to my room. Whenget there, I throw off my interview outfit and make my way to the shower. It takes longer than usual because I have to scrub off the massive amounts of makeup on my face. When I finally get dry, I go to my bed and collapse. Surprisingly, it's easy for me to fall asleep. As I drift off, I f a sense of hope surge through me.

I try to forget about what just went on on the stage, because it's District 7's turn.


	8. Chapter 8- The Battle of a Lifetime

Chapter 8- A Battle of a Lifetime (morning of Games, hovercraft ride, beginning of Games)

Natalie Byer's POV

When I wake up, I feel surprisingly well rested. The feeling is instantly eclipsed by the dread of going into the Games in a matter of hours. I decide to take a shower because in a likelyhood, it will probably be the last shower I'll ever take. I savor each and every moment the hot water falls on me. All too soon thouh, I have to get out and face reality. When I get back to my room, I don't see an outfit left out for me so I decide to just wear a plain black t-shirt and jeans. I walk out to eat breakfast and see only Maximus at the table. "Damon and Constance already left for the hovercraft. She decided to show him to the craft early. She seemed to want to avoid you." He says with a wry smile. It makes me smile too. She's the last person I want to see today. "I'm glad out of all the people I've met here, you're the last I'm going to see." I say to Maximus. He just smiles and gestures to the food. "You don't have a lot of time, so eat everything you can." I take his advice and begin to stuff my face. Before I can get completely full, Maximus tells me it's time to go. We board the elevator and make our way up to the roof. On the way up, Maximus gives me one last peice of advice. "When you get into the ar be placed on little circular pedestal type things. It is very, _very_ important you don't step off of it until the countdown ends. The Gamemakers didn't tell us what would happen, but if they told us to tell you, it can't be good." I just nod my head. Nothing the Gamemakers come up with can be any good for me. We get to the roof and I can see the hovercraft. Before I make my way over to it, Maximus grabs my shoulders and says "Remember, you can do this. Never doubt yourself." With thst last peice of advice, he lets go. I surprise him by pulling him into a hug, whispering thank you to him. With one final squeeze, he lets me go and I walk up to the hovercraft. I grab the last wrung of the ladder which freezes me to it. Then it lifts me up into the actual craft and I can no longer see Maximus.

When I get inside the hovercraft, I see that I'm the last to arrive. The only seat left is by the District 4 male and the wall. I sit down and a Capitol lady comes up to me with a weird looking syringe. She grabs my arm and sticks the needle into me. "This is your tracker," she says, "This way the Gamemakers will always know where you are in the arena." I just roll my eyes. 'So they can always know where we are' please. They know where we are, we're all in their arena of death wich I'm sure has thousands of cameras in it. I keep thinking about the Capitol and its endless stupidity until I realize the windows have blacked out. We must be getting close to the arena. I feel a flutter of anxiety in my stomach, way wores then the Reaping or interviews. I try to keep it under control as I feel the craft start to descend. When it touches down, the restraints keeping me in my seat automatically retract. The doors slide open and several armed Peacekeepers walk in.

Each tribute has a Peacekeeper escorting them out of the craft. When one comes up to me, I don't even look at him as I walk off. I walk down a hallway until I reach a door labeled D10 F, which I assume means District 10 female. I walk in and find Flower girl waiting for me. She smiles when she sees me and holds out an outfit on a hanger. "This will be the outfit you wear into the arena. All the other tributes have the same outfit except for the little band on the arms. Those are different colors depending on District." She hands it to me to put on. It's all one peice and jet black. It fits tight to my skin. Flower girl says it's made out of a material she calls lyrica. She also hands ma an all black jacket and black running shoes. "The jumpsuit and jacket are made to retain and reflect body heat so I would think the arena will be fairly cold. Other than that, there's nothing else I can tell you. Would you like a glass of water before launch?" I just nod my head yes because my throat has suddenly gone dry. I drink as much water as I can until I hear a voice say "30 seconds until launch. All tributes please step into your launch tube." I take a deep breath before I step onto the platform. My anxiety comes back worse than before. This has all suddenly got real. As I stand in the tube, I try to calm myself down. "Ok," I tell myself, "Remember your strategy. Get a weapon, some food, and get out." I keep telling myself this as I feel my tube begin to rise.

I close my eyes and take deep breathes until I feel the platform stop. I open my eyes and try to take in my surroundings. I can't see much because it's very foggy. I squint and try to look around. I can see the Cornicopia directly in front of me, but not much else. That is until I look on the ground. I see a dead body about 10 feet away from where I'm standing. I start to freak out internally. "How is there already a dead body?! Did they decide to kill one of us before the Game even starts?" I look at the ground and see more and more bodies. As I look closer, something about them seems vaguely familiar. Then it hits me. I recognize what they're wearing. They're all wearing the District rebels uniforms. It clicks in my head. The arena is a battlefield from the Rebellion. I lok back at the Cornicopia and try to find what I need, but then I feel the whole world explode not far away.


	9. Chapter 9- Fight vs Flight

Chapter 9- Fight vs. Flight

Natalie Byer's POV

It seems as if the whole world has exploded. The only thought that crosses my mind is that the Gamemakers have decided to start killing us before the Games have even officially began. The force of the explosion almost knocks me off my platform, but thankfully I'm able to regain my balance before I fall off. I look to my left and see an empty platform a couple tributes away. I guess not all the mentors told all the tributes about waiting for the countdown. I try to see into the Cornicopia but I can't see more than 5 feet in front of me because of all the fog around. I see some supplies scattered around the ground by me. All I can see is a small backpack, a tarp, and a basic looking knife. None of that will help me survive for long so I know I'm going to have to go into the Cornicopia. I have just enough time to get myself into a runners stance before I hear a gong ring out.

When the gong rings out, all the remaining tributes spring into action. I sprint towards the mouth if the Cornicopia, but I'm not the first to arrive. There are a few tributes who get there before me, one of which is Callista. I see her looking to the right, so I got to the left in order to avoid her attention. Once inside the golden horn, I grab a decent sized backpack and start looking for a machete. I see one hooked to one of the walls so I make a beeline to it. I get it off the wall and I'm about to run out and away from the whole area, but I feel someone grab me by the shoulder and spin me around. Before I can prepare myself, I get punched in the jaw. The hit sends me stumbling back a few steps, but that also gives me time to prepare myself. Before my attacker can hit me again, I swing out with my machete. I hear whoever it is fall to the ground. I don't pause as I hurry out of the Cornicopia.

When I get outside, I see Callista is still there. Suddenly she takes off running straight ahead of her. She has a sword in her hand and a look of determination on her face. I don't know why, but I decide to follow her. When I catch up to her, I see she was running at the pair from District 7. They look like they're trying to grab each little thing they can find on the ground and shove it into a backpack they managed to get. From where I'm standing, I can see Callista coming up behind them. I'm about to yell out to warn them, but I'm too late. Callista runs forward and shoves her sword through the girl's chest, then runs away before the guy has a chance to grab her. I hear the male let out the most inhuman yell I've ever heard. I don't know what posseses me to do this, but I feel myself walking to the guy while he's holding onto his partner. I grab his shoulder and I feel him stiffen. He turns around so quick I don't have a chance to defend myself. He grabs ahold of my machete arm and squeezes. I can't think of anything else to do but start talking. "I watched you and your partner during training. Both of you were just as strong, if not stronger than Callista but you wern't arrogent about it and I respected you both for that. You seemed really close with your partner and I'm really sorry about how she died. She deserved to go down fighting, not stabbed in the back."

The guy bemds down to pick up my machete and I think to myself "This is it. You're going to die on the first day because you were stupid enough to approach a pissed off tribute." Instead of stabbing me like I expected him to do, he hands me my weapon. Then he starts to speak. "I knew Maple my whole life. We were best friends and when we got Reaped together, it broke my heart. There was no way I could've killed her so I decided I wanted her to win. I was ready to die defending her, but I couldn't even do that. She really didn't deserve what haooened to her, but none of us do, except that witch from 6. She deserves every single thing that's going to happen to her when I catch her. I'm letting you go right now for Maple, but I won't do it again. You should probably leave now." With that, he takes off in the direction Callista went. I can still hear people around so I take District 7's advice and take off in the opposite direction.

I run right past the Cornicopia where I can still hear fighting going on. As I keep running, I see bodies all over the ground. Whether they're tributes or rebel soldiers, I can't tell. I just keep running. I eventually see a forest in the distance. I decide that's probably the best palce for me to be, so that's where I head. I get to the forest relatively quickly and when I step under the trees, virtually all light dissapears. The branches and leaves are so thick, there's barely any light to see by. I sto for a minute to take in my surroundings. There's not much to see, all I can see is trees. The trees themselves look good for climbing and there could be some animals in them that I can kill. I try to listen to see if I can hear anything significant. While I strain my ears, I hear the best sound I've ever heard. I can faintly hear moving water. The sound is barely there so that means either the water is far away, or the source is extremely small. Right after I hear the sound of the water, I hear what sounds like a cannon go off. That's immediatly followed by 9 more blasts. I wonder what that could possibly mean. I shake it off and head in the direction I heard the sound of the water coming from. I reach it inn a few minutes and it turns out I was right. There isn't much there. It's a very small stream. I could easily jump across it.

I open my bag and right on top there's a water bottle. When I go to fill it up, I can see the water's not the cleanest. I dig further into my bag and see there's iodine. I fill the bottle full and put what I hope is the correct amount of drops into it. While my water is purifying, I decide to climb a tree to make a sort of "camp" for the night. I climb as high as I feel comfortable going. To occupy myself, I go through my bag. Inside my bag there's another water bottle, a roll of bandages, a few throwing knives, a throwing hatchet, a dagger, matches, and an extra pair of socks. I know from training that the throwing knives and hatchet are pretty much useless to me, but it couldn't be a bad idea to keep them on me just in case. I stick the dagger through a belt loop on my pants for easy access. It's not hard to see what the extra pair of socks are for. Because of the fog, the pair I'm already wearing are wet. I don't think anyone's ever going to be completely dry in this arena.

Once I feel like the iodine has been in the water long enough, I drink half the bottle and save the other half for later because I'm not that thirsty at the moment. I settle on my branch and I hear the Panem anthem out of nowhere. I look around and see the seal in the sky. Right after the anthem, I see "The Fallen" in the sky. Pictures of tributes start to appear in the sky. I see the pictures of the male from 1, both from 2, the female from 4, the male from 5, Maple, both from 8, the female from 11, and the female from 12. I count the pictures and thee was 10 of them. I guess that's what the cannon shots mean. Whenever there's a cannon shot, someone has died. I can't believe 10 of us are already dead. Especially Maple. She was so strong. I expected her to make it very far, even to win. The way she died seems so despicable, stabbed in the back. Suddenly, I think of the Cornicopia and the kid who punched me. I struck out at that kid without a second thought. I know whoever it was fell, but I never looked back to see if they got up. I could've killed someone. I'm a murderer, no better than Callista! I take a few deep breathes to try to calm down. That kid attacked me first. If I hadn't fought back, I'd probably be dead. That thought calms me down a lot. Waves of exhaustion hit me, so I lean against the trunk of the tree to go to sleep. As far as first days in a death arena go, I guess it could be worse. I could be dead.


End file.
